What type of a visa you need to travel to China and what specific documents you will need to prepare for the visa application.
The tourist visa for China is an L Visa, and the application process has four main steps.
Step one: Fill out the application form online.
Step two: Make an appointment to submit your application.
Step three: Submit your documents and complete a biometric connection.
Step four: Wait for approval and collect your visa.
Information about the four steps in detail.
Go to the official Chinese visa application website. Just search for “China visa online application” on Google and you will find the page. Choose your preferred language as well as your country and city. The system will automatically match you with the correct MC or consulate. Fill in the online form.
A sample of the visa application form is below. It has nine sections.
Section one: Personal information, including name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, and passport details.
Section two: Visa information. For tourism, select an L Visa – an independent tourist.
Important: If a whole family is traveling, each person fills out their own form separately.
Section three: Employment details — your profession and work history for the past five years.
Section four: Education background — your highest degree and school. Field of study is optional.
Section five: Family details — address, phone, email, family members’ information.
Section six: Travel details — entry and exit dates, cities to visit, emergency contact, and who pays for the trip.
Section seven: Travel history — previous visits to China and countries visited in the past 12 months.
Section eight: Other questions — they are the standard visa-related questions.
Section nine: Declaration and signature. Print the form after submission, then sign by hand.
After submission, the system will generate a PDF accompanied by an application number, for example, NYC123456789, and a barcode. Print and sign it for submission. Be sure to note down the application number, as it will be required for subsequent appointment scheduling and status inquiries.
Please remember to carefully review all information, as errors cannot be modified once the application is submitted. If mistakes are discovered, you must log back into the system and create an entirely new application.
Required documents:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months with at least two blank visa pages.
- Copy of the passport photo page.
- Printed and signed application form.
- Recent photo with a white background, taken within six months, glued to the form.
- Travel documents: round-trip flight booking and hotel reservation covering the entire trip.
- Financial proof: bank statements from the last three months, and a bank letter confirming your balance is enough to cover your trip. Usually, funds are frozen for one month.
- Employment certificate stating salary and leave approval.
Before submitting, you must make an appointment online in advance. Arrive on time with all documents at the visa application services center or consulate. Submit documents for review.
Biometric connection: First-time applicants will have their fingerprints taken.
Pay the visa fee: Upon approval of your application, you will receive a pickup slip and be required to pay the visa fee.
For example, the visa fee is $140 if applying in the United States and $45 if applying in a European Schengen country.
If you're traveling as a family, one member can submit everyone's documents — not everyone needs to appear in person.
If your children are traveling, you will also need to provide their birth certificates, both original and copies.
Processing time usually takes four working days.
Expedite options are available:
- Express: two to three working days
- Rush: one working day (extra fee required).
Track your application online or by email. When approved, pick up your passport with the collection slip. Double-check visa details — name, passport number, validity, number of entries, etc. — before leaving.
If you are from one of the following countries, you can skip a visa application since you are visa exempt. For travel to China, including tourism, business, or visiting relatives, you can stay without a visa for up to 30 days (15 days for some countries).
Now you know exactly how to apply for a China Tourism Visa, the L Visa.
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